NEW YORK - The morning after wasn't much easier for Mariano Rivera.
The difficult emotions Rivera went through Tuesday, attending the funeral of two family members in Panama before returning in time to save the opening game for the Yankees, were still with him Wednesday.
"Every minute, every moment you have by yourself, it's there," Rivera said. "I haven't experienced anything like that before, and it was tough."
Yankees manager Joe Torre said the sadness is likely to be with Rivera for a while.
"I don't think this is going to go away, the stress that he's under because it happened so quickly and so suddenly," Torre said. "The people were young, and you sort of have flashbacks when things like that happen.
"But he's tough. He's very tough, and a devoted family man, and I know as long as he can be there for (his wife) Clara, and she's surrounded by support, that he'll continue to - he'll be here. He'll be here, and again, as I say, he'll be as tough as anybody I know."
Torre said he thought it was good for Rivera to be back on the field.
"He seemed to be happy to be back," Torre said. "Obviously with all of the stresses gone through, sometimes you get a chance to hide out for a couple of hours from reality and hang out with the guys."
PITCHING IN: The Yankees hope to know by today whether Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez will be able to start Game 4 on Saturday. Hernandez, who didn't pitch in the division series because of shoulder problems, threw what team officials said was an encouraging bullpen session Monday.
If he gets through today's workout with no problem, he is likely to start. If not, the Yankees will probably use Javier Vazquez.
"Obviously the thing that Duque has going for him is the fact that he has been down that road before, he is experienced, so that weighs heavy on his side," Torre said. "But, again, we still have to consider the health factor and make sure that it's more than the fact that he wants to pitch, that we make sure we try to make the right decision."
ONE FOR ALL: Losing Curt Schilling, who might not be able to pitch again in the series, doesn't mean the Red Sox are giving up, catcher Jason Varitek said.
"We've got to go on without him if we have to," Varitek said. "He won what, 21 games? We won more than 21 games. By no means does that deflate this team."
MISCELLANY: New York's Mike Mussina on Tuesday became the first pitcher to retire the first 19 hitters of a postseason game since Jim Lonborg did so for Boston in Game 2 of the 1967 World Series. ... The seven pitchers Boston used in Tuesday's opener tied an LCS record. ... New York's Bernie Williams on Tuesday logged his 26th RBI in LCS play, one shy of David Justice's record. ... Had the Red Sox made it all the way back from the 8-0 deficit, they would have matched the largest comeback in postseason history. The Philadelphia A's overcame an 8-0 deficit to beat the Cubs 10-8 in Game 4 of the 1929 World Series. ... Fox's Game 1 ratings (10.0 nationally with a 16 share, translating to about 15-million viewers) were the best for a nine-inning LCS game since the 2000 Mets-Braves opener. ... Both teams will have light workouts today at Fenway Park.